Strong Hydrogen Bonding with Inorganic Pendant Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane Nanoparticles Provides High Glass Transition Temperature Poly(methyl methacrylate) Copolymers.

We report a series of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) copolymers containing small amounts of methacrylamide (MAAM) and pendant polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) methyl acrylate (MAPOSS) segments. The hydrogen bonding interactions of the MAAM monomer units and the inorganic POSS nanoparticle units improved the thermal and mechanical properties of the PMMA copolymers. For example, PMMA copolymerization with 5 wt% PMAAM and 5 wt% PMAPOSS monomers could enhance the glass transition temperature to 142°C, with higher modulus, higher water contact angle, and reasonably high transparency. Such copolymers have potential to replace PMMA homopolymers in optical applications.